Questions

396. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Dublin that have withdrawn from or declined to participate in the core funding scheme since its introduction, broken down by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7225/26]

397. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the main reasons cited by childcare providers for withdrawing from or refusing to participate in the core funding scheme; the assessment her Department has carried out on the impact of these decisions on childcare availability and affordability for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7226/26]

398. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the analysis her Department has undertaken on the impact on parents who are unable to access reduced childcare fees because their provider has opted out of the core funding scheme; whether her Department can estimate the number of families affected in Dublin Bay north; the measures being considered to ensure children are not disadvant…

871. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether HIQA has the authority to approve the removal of a person with a disability from a community-based living arrangement without their consent; whether this practice has been examined for compliance with Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which protects the right to live indepe…

872. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential disability service places which are planned to be provided by a service (details supplied) in 2026 and 2027 respectively, in view of the increased funding provided under the HSE Service Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5943/26]

902. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has examined the sequencing of residential development and childcare provision to ensure early years facilities are delivered alongside or in advance of new housing developments; whether national planning or funding guidance supports this approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6372/26]

903. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has explored the expansion of school-based after school care provision within primary schools; the barriers identified to delivery including staffing, insurance or use of school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6373/26]

904. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the commitments relating to childcare contained in the Programme for Government; the progress made to date on each commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6374/26]

905. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality where public bodies or communities can apply for State-led childcare provision to be incorporated into new or existing public buildings; whether guidance exists for inclusive provision for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6376/26]

505. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated number of persons eligible for the Magdalene restorative justice ex-gratia scheme and the mother and baby institutions payment scheme respectively, as set out in any preparatory documentation, relied upon by her Department at the time the schemes were established, including any revised estimates; and if she will make a s…

506. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications approved to date under the Magdalene restorative justice ex-gratia scheme and the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, respectively; the percentage uptake of each scheme relative to the estimated eligible population; and whether her Department has conducted, or is aware of any analysis of reasons for…

11. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to address the ongoing lack of affordable early learning and childcare places, particularly for working families; whether she has assessed the impact of rising childcare costs on parents’ ability to remain in employment, including in areas such as Dublin Bay North; and if she will make a statement on …

49. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current average waiting times for assessment of need determinations under the Disability Act 2005, broken down by CHO area, in tabular form; the steps her Department is taking to reduce delays and ensure timely access to statutory assessments for children, including those in Dublin Bay North; and if she will make a statement on the…

93. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department is ensuring that multi-annual capital funding for disability services in Dublin Bay North is aligned with rising local demand, particularly in relation to respite provision, therapy spaces, and residential supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70844/25]

94. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the current and future funding allocations for an organisation (details supplied), including any planned increases to support service delivery and disability provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64600/25]

858. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE administrative staff, by grade posts filled at a service (details supplied) in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72337/25]

761. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will consider extending unpaid parental leave so that it remains available until a child finishes post primary school in order to give parents greater flexibility during the school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69828/25]

781. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the recommendations contained in a report (details supplied); the current status of all outstanding recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69597/25]

782. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for full implementation of all outstanding recommendations arising from a report (details supplied); the measures being taken to improve communication and engagement with survivors who have expressed concerns regarding delays and lack of updates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69598/25]

783. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of the development of Tusla's Responsible Use Framework for artificial intelligence and automation technologies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69621/25]

784. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has established a governance structure to oversee the introduction of emerging technologies including automation and artificial intelligence and the expected timeline for this structure to become fully operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69622/25]

785. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has completed a risk assessment of automated processes within its case management systems to ensure that no automated decision making takes place in relation to child protection or child welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69623/25]

786. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla intends to trial forms of automation to reduce administrative burden on caseworkers in a way that complies with data protection and ethical standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69624/25]

787. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress of the new case management system and the timeline for its full deployment across all regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69625/25]

788. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how Tusla ensures compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Children First Act in the design and testing of any digital transformation or artificial intelligence supported tools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69626/25]